True Happiness
by ChihiroAyasato
Summary: Rena awakens to find herself in a hospital. Her memories are faded and blurred, and the last thing she remembers is being with her friends in that same ward. She isn't aware of what has befallen the village of Hinamizawa or the people most precious to her
1. Rena Alone

**True Happiness**

**Chapter I – Rena Alone**

"_Hey, Rena! We're here to visit you again!" _

_It's Keiichi-kun. His image is all blurred and unfocused…why is that?_

"_You look surprised…don't worry. It's just the side effects of the medicine, that's all!" Mii-chan cheerfully sat next to me and I felt the slightest pressure of a hand on my arm._

"_The doctor said that you'll be put to sleep for a couple of days, so that you the medicine can fully kick in and heal you up completely." Rika-chan's soft voice came from my right ear, and I managed to turn my head to look at her._

"_We must appear really weird to you right now, huh?" Satoko-chan laughed nervously, quite unlike her usual self._

"_The director told us that we will all be like elephants when you see us after you had the injection…"_

"_Hey look! She's smiling! Great job, Kei-chan! You actually did something right for once!"_

"_Wh-what? What do you mean, 'FOR ONCE'?"_

"_Goodness sake, Keiichi-san! Rena-san's trying to sleep! Can't you quieten down a little?"_

_My eyelids droop and I feel like crying._

_I don't want to leave them…_

_It feels like I'm dying…Their voices are growing more and more distant._

"_Don't worry, Rena. We'll all be here when you wake up." It's Rika again._

_Her words are so reassuring but…_

_**Why does she sound so sad?**_

"_Rika-chan's right, we'll all be here." _

_Satoko-chan…don't go!_

"_This old man will make sure that all the club members are gathered here to have a small celebration party once you're all better! Until then, Rena… Keep fighting with all your might, 'kay?"_

_I manage to nod weakly, and felt everyone's image shimmer once more in front of my eyes._

"_Rena…I'll keep my promise to you."_

_It's Keiichi-kun again._

_The last person to speak to me._

"_You said on the rooftop that if you won, then I would have to be extra kind to you…say good morning to you when you wake up, and say goodnight to you when you close your eyes. Well, as much as I don't want to admit it…you did win, Rena. So…no matter what happens…"_

_I feel the pressure of his warm hand on mine for the final time._

"_**We'll always be together. I promise."**_

_Keiichi-kun…don't go…!_

_My vision goes completely black, and I can no longer feel anything._

_I have forgotten how to feel._

_Keiichi-kun…_

* * *

My eyes fly open and I sit upright almost immediately.

I am still in hospital.

The hospital they sent me to, that was supposed to away from Hinamizawa, but still close enough to be within the boundaries of it.

I look around, and there's no one here.

"H-Hello?"

My voice was raspy…when had I last spoken?

A week? A month?

A year?

"U-Um…Nurse? Hello? It's Rena…Rena Ryugu." I managed and crawled out from under the white sheets.  
"Is anyone there?"

I shakily stood up and used a free hand to grasp the metal pole that had my empty bag of medicine attached.

Suddenly, all the feeling left my legs completely and I collapsed onto the ground with a cry of pain as the cool metal landed with a clang next to me.

Surely…someone would have heard that?

But…even after a full minute, after I struggled to crawl back up…no one came.

Something was wrong.

I glanced up, and noticed a pot of flowers that had several cards next to them, each bearing the names of my closest friends.

They were…covered in dust.

And the flowers were completely dry.

"What's…going on?" I thought aloud, fear seizing my crumpled figure.

I carefully removed the drip from under my skin, seized a bandaid that was lying in the open drawer and stopped the bleeding.

"Is Rena…all alone?" I croaked and found the door, stumbling towards it and turning the knob.

I noticed that the sign above the door said 'sterilised room'.

And a small sheet of paper stuck on the surface reading:

"**Experimentation Room. All air pumped into this room is to be from a special source. On no account should the patient inhale any air that has not been sterilised."**

"E-Experimentation room…? Rena was…being experimented on…?"

I shook slightly and then tried desperately to clear my head.

No, that can't be right.

Keiichi-kun and my friends had left their cards here.

If they had known that I was being treated badly, they would have objected right away, right?

The hospital was eerily quiet as I walked through it.

There was no sign of any life anywhere.

I shivered, and continued trudging slowly along the empty corridor.

Then I saw it.

Something that almost stopped my heart…

It was a body.

I couldn't actually see it, since it was covered up by a large white sheet of cloth.

But the human like features along the facial area that were distinctively showing through the sheet gave it away.

I swallowed and managed to walk around it, and out the door.

Had one of the doctors left it lying there carelessly?

Perhaps that had been a patient who had died in their sleep, and their body was just being carried out to the disposal site but then something had happened…and they were unceremoniously dumped there?

Something…had happened…

The words repeated themselves in my mind, like a mantra, and I finally found a dull exit sign in the far corner and opened the door.

A blast of wind rushed forth to greet me.

And I realised that I was still in Hinamizawa.

The familiar scenery was calming to my fast, beating heart.

But it was short lived.

I walked along the road, barefoot and still wearing my hospital garments.

With a shaking hand, I peeled off the bandaging around my neck, and realised that the scratches had fully healed, with only scars remaining.

They no longer itched, I thought with relief and closed my eyes to savour this peaceful feeling.

Which is why I almost tripped when my feet slipped on the white cloth spread before me.

"Wh-what?" I stared at the oval shaped lump that was blocking my path and glanced around.

I was standing in midst of piles and piles of the same shaped heaps of cloth.

"What…is this?" I breathed, and suddenly realised a nauseating stench was being admitted from them.

I ran to the clearing, terrified out of my wits and feeling as if my lungs would stop working altogether if I didn't get out of this 'Hinamizawa' soon.

Was it just a nightmare?

No…my feet hurt as I run along the gravel path.

My chest ached as I try desperately to inhale fresh air.

This was real, this was really real…

I come to the end of the road, where a large metal fence was preventing me from leaving the area.

After failing to find another exit point, I ran back to it, and banged against it.

"Hello? Help! I'm trapped!"

There was no response, and I was left there, alone, to think of another way out.

I looked up, and realised the edges of this obstacle were not spiked, and quite harmless.

Guess there was no other way.

Mustering up all the strength I had left, I began the slow climb…slipping my aching feet within the holes in the barbed wire like fence and pushing myself up.

I literally fell over the other side, and luckily the gate hadn't been too tall, so I only got bruises from the tiny fall.

All the experience from club activities had come to use after all.

At least I'm out now…I thought to myself.

At least I'm out.

Before leaving the horrid area behind, I couldn't resist looking back to glance at the sign that had caught my attention from the other side.

I couldn't read it from back there, as its front was turned away from me.

But now I could.

And it was what stopped me in my tracks and held me there for at least a full minute.

The sign said:

"**Unsafe Area – The Village of Hinamizawa. **

**Poison Gas Site.**

**All residents within the village – Dead.**

**DO NOT TRESPASS."**

* * *

**Chapter I – End.**


	2. Voices, Abilities and Information

**Some of this will be from personal experience, as I have had an illness similar to Rena in the sense of seeing hallucinations and hearing voices.**

**Also, there will be references to the TV series 'The Walking Dead' and PS2 game 'Second Sight'.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**True Happiness**

**Chapter II – Voices****, Abilities, and Information**

I crashed to the floor, feeling extremely nauseous and as if I would die right then and there.

I guess I hadn't completely healed yet from _that_ incident.

No…I can't die…not here…not now…

I…can't…

No…!

**"****ARGH…!****"**

Rings of pale blue light suddenly enveloped me.

And I cried out in fear.

Were my hallucinations back?

Was I seeing things again?

No…wait…is this…real?

But…how is that the case?

…

"That's…so strange…" I shivered slightly but managed to stand up.

"I feel…**better**…all of a sudden."

That light…

Did it **heal** me?

I stared at my hands, and realised only then that the scratches I had received from climbing that fence were gone.

"What…what's happened to me?"

I shook fitfully and sank to the floor once more, clutching my elbows and shaking violently.

The sign on the door of my hospital bed swam before my eyes in a blurry outline.

Is this…what they meant by…'experimentation'?

Rena was…being experimented on?

To confirm my fears, I focused my mind on wanting to 'feel better', and all at once, the veils of blue light surrounded me again…and this time the bruises on my knees faded away.

After a short while of nearly hyperventilating at this strange new power, I willed myself to calm down.

This wasn't so bad…if I can just get used to this…then I will be able to heal myself whenever I need to…it's a useful…

"No!"

I screamed and clutched my aching head in absolute horror.

"This can't be happening to Rena! It can't!" I yelled to no one in particular and sobbed hysterically.

"Rena is a normal girl. Rena is a happy girl…she…doesn't have…these mutations!"

I tried desperately to convince my broken body of this horrifying fact that I had acquired psychic abilities and managed to stand back up.

"No…no…" I repeated my comforting thoughts like a mantra inside of me.

But they weren't enough to persuade me.

"Rena has to…get out of here…" I panted once more, and put a foot forward.

As I continued to walk, I gathered my racing thoughts in my aching mind.

So…

Whilst I was unconscious…something horrible had occurred.

The 'Hinamizawa' that was my hometown has now been supposedly wiped out.

For some reason, I survived.

But before all of that happened…I was in a coma of sorts.

And the doctors decided to 'experiment' on me.

And…now…

I've turned into some kind of…monster.

I shook my head vigorously at the thought.

"No, Rena is not a monster! She is not!"

She** can't** be…

…Right?

I realised with horror that more tears were leaking from my eyes, and hastily wiped them away.

This was no time to be crying.

If I have time to cry, then I have time to find civilisation.

And where there were people…there would be help…

I was sure of that one fact.

…

What I wasn't sure of…

Was why the scars on my neck were completely gone.

* * *

"Hinamizawa…that's the sealed off village area, isn't it?"

"Sealed off?"

"Yeah…no one's been allowed to enter ever since the entire village was annihilated by an unexpected eruption of poisonous gas."

"So…you're saying the whole event was a natural occurrence?"

"Well, that's what everyone says. By **everyone** I mean the news and all…why?"

"Ah…nothing,"

Mamoru Akasaka put down his notebook with a dull thud on his work desk.

"I was just…curious."

* * *

"I-Is that a car…?"

A rumbling was heard from far ahead of me, something that sounded like the rolling of wheels on hard gravel.

Was I finally saved?

I ran towards it as fast as I could, waving and shouting upon realising that it was indeed an operating vehicle.

"P-Please wait up! I need help! Hello?"

Thankfully, the driver noticed me and stopped his car, waiting for me to catch up to him.

"You need something, little mi…? Whoa! Are you alright?" The man exclaimed in surprise upon seeing me panting heavily onto the car door, half my body covered in bandages and my skin sweating bullets.

"Y-Yes…I…really need to get to…somewhere where I'll be safe…" I managed weakly, and tried my best to compose myself.

"'Where you'll be safe'? What danger is out there? And where did you come from?" He grew suspicious all of a sudden and peered at me from under his shades.

"I'm from…"

**Don't tell him.**

"…What?"

"Huh?" The driver blinked and cocked his head to one side, apparently not hearing the hiss of a voice that had been so audible to me.  
"You're from…where?"

**If you value your life, keep your true identity a secret.**

For some reason, instinct told me to listen.

"…From Tokyo…! I'm from Tokyo…I…was on my way to hospital since I…recently had a car crash…and when I woke up, I found myself in an empty vehicle."

The lies were so easy to tell.

Why was that?

…

Whatever the reason, they seemed extremely pathetic to me.

"Oh? You poor thing, that must have been very hard for you." He seemed to buy my story, probably due to the fact that I could barely stand up without gasping for breath.  
"Here, get in. I'll take you to a nearby hotel, how's that sound?"

"Y-Yes! Thank you so much!"

Overcome with relief, I shakily opened the car door and seated myself in.

"What's your name, little missy? You really do need to get some food and rest, you look white as a sheet!"

"I'm…Re…"

**No.**

"…!"

"Is something the matter?" He noticed my silence and started up the engine.

"Well, um…"

"Hold that thought, pretend I didn't ask you. It's not polite of me to poke my nose into other people's affairs." He said good-naturedly.  
"If you don't want me to know who you are, that's fine by me. You don't seem like a bad girl to me."

"Th-Thank you…" I sighed softly and leaned into the car seat.

Looking around, I spotted his ID lying next to the cup holder.

Keitaro Ragii.

Officer of Tokyo Police.

He didn't seem like a bad person either.

Maybe I would be able to see someone I knew soon…

_**And they can tell me what's going on.**_

* * *

"Akasaka! I need you here!"

The young officer perked up and ran over immediately.

"Yes sir?" He asked hesitantly.

"I heard you expressing interest in visiting Hinamizawa again…" The head of police reached for a manila folder with several case files stashed in it.  
"And I think I have some information regarding _that_ incident."

"R-Really?" Mamoru cocked an eyebrow and received the sheets of paper with a tattered looking scrapbook.

"Yes…these are actually the files detailing on the case just before the Hinamizawa Tragedy."

"Oh?" He looked up from examining the cover of the scrapbook and gazed at his chief questionably.

"And what incident might that be?"

The man leaned forward with his elbows on his table and furrowed his brow.

"**The Hinamizawa Forest Services Hostage Crisis."**

* * *

"…What's that?" I asked, my heart suddenly pounding unnaturally fast.

He couldn't mean…

"Well, from what I heard…it occurred just a night before _that_ certain incident…"

"Yes…?"

I pretended to play dumb, and decided to uncover the information regarding the first case before asking about the second.

"According to some of the files that I was given to investigate, a young girl with delusional problems took several classmates hostage and poured gasoline all over the floors of the classroom."

I seized right up, but, lost as he was in his thoughts, Keitaro didn't notice.

"Also…she threatened to burn the entire classroom down if her negotiations were not met… Some crazy freak, huh?" He turned to me and offered an awkward smile.

"Y-Yeah…completely insane." I managed to laugh weakly back and pretended that I needed to sleep.

He knew…

_**He knew about me…**_

But…he doesn't know it was ME.

The 'me' who was sitting right next to him…

He had no idea who I really was.

"S-So…what happened to that…er…'delusional freak', I wonder?" I asked shakily.

And for some reason, it felt _satisfying_ to address myself with that term.

Yet it also stung bitterly.

"Um…I heard she was taken to hospital, and no one else was badly injured in that incident. She calmed down, and was treated for her illness." Keitaro's expression grew stony.

"Though I also heard that she was still in that village when it was gassed…so she shouldn't be alive anymore."

"G-Gassed?"

We finally arrived on the roads of the city, and he stopped at a red light before turning toward me.

"Yeah, I'm talking about the great Hinamizawa Disaster…you do know about that, right?"

"Er, well. I should… but my memories have been quite hazy ever since the doctors gave me the pain killers." I murmured nervously.

"Well, it's no happy fairy tale." He sighed and leaned into his own seat.

"I can't remember clearly myself, but I think it was several days after the incident I just told you about…what happened was; that the entire village of Hinamizawa was engulfed in poisonous volcanic gas, and everyone in the village perished."

"…"

"The whole incident was caused by natural elements. And there was only one survivor."

"Wh-who's that?" I croaked.

_**This can't be true.**_

_**It just can't…!**_

"Erm…I believe…it was one of the village head's granddaughters…"

…!

Wh-what did he just say?

…Village head…

Head…

Granddaughter…

My eyes widened as I turned to stare at him.

_**Mii-chan?**_

* * *

**End of Chapter II**


	3. I'm Not Afraid

**Chapter III - I'm Not Afraid**

"Sonozaki-san. It's time for your medication… Sonozaki-san?" The nurse walked into the room with a tray and stared, bewildered, at the empty bed.

"Oh…no…" She ran out of the room, nearly dropping the syringe in haste and went to find the doctor.

Shion Sonozaki crawled out from behind the door and sighed softly.

"Honestly, that woman is so daft." She breathed and walked into the bathroom.  
"What did she think I would do? Jump out the window? Though a dive does sound pretty good to me right now…"

**I like to see you try.**

She didn't even flinch, and looked wearily over her shoulder.  
"You here again?"

**Huh. You sound almost bored.**

"I've been hearing voices in my head ever since all my friends passed away. I've grown used to it. You're no exception…

_**Onee**_."

* * *

**Chapter III - End**

**A very short one, sorry about that.  
I've been feeling very ill lately.**

**I will update when I feel better. :)**


	4. A Moment of Peace

**Chapter IV – A Moment of Peace**

"Here, take this."

The officer offered a wad of cash into my hands with a smile.

I stared at the large amount of money in surprise.

"Wh-what…?" I managed to feebly croak and push it back towards him.  
"I c-can't accept this! Especially after you've helped me so much already!"

"Nah, it's fine." He said and tucked the notes into my shaking hand.  
"You told me you were involved in a car crash, plus I don't see any pockets on that hospital gown of yours. You need money to get into that hotel, obviously. And I don't want to just drive and dump a helpless girl anywhere. It goes against Keitaro Ragii's policy."

"Th-thank you so much." I realised that I was holding stiffly onto his warm hand and hurriedly let go with a blush creeping onto my cheeks.

"No problem. I hope you find what you're looking for, Missy." He tipped his police hat in farewell and hopped back into his car.

I watched him drive off with a pounding heart and waved silently to the trunk of the vehicle.

_Such a nice man… may the Shrine God bless him…_

* * *

I flop onto my simple hotel bed and sighed wearily in relief.

Somehow, I had managed to drag my battered body up to the reception desk and told them what I needed.

I gazed at the still heavy wad of cash in my hands and realised just then how little the rental fee had costed compared to the amount Mr. Ragii had given me.

With this amount remaining, I would have enough money to buy food, supplies and better clothes.

"Thank goodness…" I exhaled and after making sure this generous gift was well hidden and that my door was locked, curled up into bed and fell asleep.

_I wonder where everyone else is…?_

* * *

"Oh, hey there Ragii, you're a bit later than usual today." Mamoru looked up from his files and greeted his colleague.

"Yeah…" The officer sat down in his usual seat behind the work desk and leaned into it, deliberately casual.  
"Bumped into this poor lass today near the outskirts of Hinamizawa on my way back from the assigned investigation… little tyke was involved in a car crash and frankly had no idea what to do. I felt sorry for her, see? So I drove her to the nearby hotel."

"Oh?" Mamoru stiffened slightly at the mentioning of the town that he had been obsessed with since visiting the village.  
"Is it alright for me to ask you what her name was?"

"Well, she didn't tell me. Looked all worn out and was on the verge of collapsing, so I didn't pry." Keitaro lit a cigarette and puffed on it.

"I see…"

Mamoru Akasaka sighed and looked back onto the files he had been given by the chief of police.

And didn't understand why he was suddenly so disappointed.

* * *

"Sonozaki? Hmm… I did hear about a Sonozaki the other week or so being sent to this city's hospital. But I can't say for sure that my memory is that reliable."

"Oh, it's fine really. I was just curious."

The reception lady gave me a small smile.

"What's the matter? Would you like to visit her? It's nice to know that a girl your age still cares about others. My son on the other hand…"

"Ah, yes. She's a close friend of mine." I cut her off in haste, not wanting to stay too long near the entrance where I could be easily seen.

I gripped the sides of the new dress that I had bought this morning with anxiety.

I knew then that it was possible that either Mii-chan or Shii-chan was still alive and was being treated at a hospital.

_I had to find them somehow!_

"C-Could you please give me the address to the hospital you referred to?" I asked and offered her a notepad and pen I had found in the hotel room.  
"I want to see if I can find my friend."

"Of course, sweetie. I would be happy to help." She quickly jotted down the necessary information and handed the pen and pad back to me with a warm smile.

I bowed low in gratitude and walked briskly out of the hall after thanking her.

Only had I walked a couple of blocks away from the hotel did I realise that I had no way of finding this hospital if I had no knowledge of the street names in this huge city.

"Oh dear… I really didn't think this through…"

I sighed and stopped in my tracks, gazing around with a dull expression of hopelessness in my eyes.

"What am I going to do now…?"

"Excuse me, but might you be the girl whom Officer Ragii escorted to Shibuya Hotel?"

I stiffened at the unfamiliar voice and turned around to face the source of noise.

It was a man, in his twenties and with short black hair who walked slowly towards me, his hands in his pockets, and looking slightly menacing.

I backed away slightly but managed not to run off.

If I did, I would just add to his suspicions.

"Y-Yes sir…" I said feebly, taking a deep breath.  
"A-And you are…?"

He fished out an identification card and held it up for me to see.

"Mamoru Akasaka of the Tokyo Police Force… If you don't mind… I would like a word with you."

* * *

**Chapter IV - End**


End file.
